ncer: taking your e-mails on any topic at any time, this is the "bill press show." live on your radio and current tv. >> bill: hey for janet i want to say happy hanukkah, janet. i'm sorry. she's pointed out we keep saying merry christmas and we have not wished our jewish friends a happy hanukkah. hanukkah is underway. christmas is still way off. janet, sorry we're late getting to that. happy hanukkah. george wants to know if me and our entire current staff are card carrying dues paying union members. perhaps you can clarify this on your show tomorrow. i'm proud to tell you george, we are union members.

this is a union shop. here is my union card. >> here's mine. >> bill: i've been a member since 1981. we are a proud union shop and my brothers and sisters are here for you.

ú [ ♪ theme ♪ ] >> bill: hello hello hello fellow americans! it is the "full court press" here on current tv. welcome, welcome thursday, december 13. great to see you today on a busy day in our nation's capital.

congress scurrying around still trying to get something going on the fiscal cliff. and the latest poll shows that 2/3 of americans including a majority of democrats republicans and independents all say that congressional leaders meaning republicans should compromise so we can avoid going over the fiscal cliff. that means republicans must give up their insistence that the bush tax cuts continue for the wealthiest of americans because it ain't gonna happen. the president's not going to sign the bill and the american people don't want to give them a continued tax break. they think they ought to pay more. so let's just get it done and then go home and celebrate the holidays. hey, good to have you with us. we'll talk about all of that and get all of latest including what's happening out in the state of michigan. but first, we take time out for today's current news update. lisa ferguson's got it out in los angeles. hi, lisa. good morning. >> hey bill. good morning everyone. americans are calling for a

major overhaul of the republican party. especially when it comes to the g.o.p.'s pro rich policies. according to a new bloomberg national poll, 87% of people say it's time for some type of change. even support within the republican party is low. only 16% of g.o.p. members think their party is fine the way it is. nbc news "wall street journal" poll shows favorability is slipping. only 30% of those respondents see the party in a positive light. 45% say they don't approve. at issue here is the view of republicans as the party of the rich. voters say it is time to broaden the base and change what they value. some big topics include gay marriage immigration and abortion rights. if republicans are looking to change their stance on abortion, michigan isn't helping much. the state senate there just passed one of the country's most extreme abortion bans in a 27-10 vote. among other restrictions, the bill would limit abortion in

rural areas. it would force doctors to prove their patients were not coerce and it would impose complicated regulations that could drive clinics out of business. the bill is now headed back to the state house for a final vote. more bill press is coming up live after the break. stay with us. you're about to watch an ad message created by a current tv viewer for capella university. matter. education is the key. it is the vehicle. it's the way in which we evolve. every journey is different every possibility is unique. but the beginning, the beginning is my craft. i'm an ordinary person striving to achieve extraordinary things. it started with a dream and i'm on my way there.

>> announcer: broadcasting across the nation on your radio and on current tv, this is the "bill press show." >> bill: yes indeed. congress getting ready to go home again today without accomplishing anything. what fiscal cliff? they don't seem to be worried about it. good morning everybody.

it is thursday, december 13. good to see you today here on the "full court press" coming to you live on your local progressive talk radio station. if you're lucky enough to have one and on current tv. booming out to you live all the way across this great land of ours from our radio factory book factory tv factory here on capitol hill in washington, d.c. in the shad dove the capitol dome where members of congress busy going to holiday parties. i saw several of them last night. at a holiday party. the department of labor, thrown by our good friend, secretary of labor hilda soliz but they didn't get much work done on capitol hill as we just heard from david jackson from the white house. seems like things have come to a dead stop both at the white house and on the congress mainly because republicans still refuse to -- they're still insisting that the bush tax cuts for the wealthiest 2% of americans be extended permanently.

come on, john boehner! you lost the election! the american people want to move forward. american people want the wealthiest of americans to pay their fair share. boehner, why are you representing the 2% and not just the 98%. lots and lots to talk about here this morning. and you'll want to get into the conversation, we know, and you can do so, give us a call at 1-866-55-press. follow us on twitter and talk to us on twitter at bpshow. or on facebook. facebook.com/billpressshow. our team here, entire team, phil backert has the phones. >> go ahead. >> bill: peter ogborn and dan henning. it was a tough lunch yesterday. >> still a little foggy. i've never seen you drink so many martinis. >> bill: well, they're good at the palm. so i just tell them to make a pitcher. [ laughter ] >> bill: i was well-behaved

compared to cyprian. cyprian is our videographer here. he slept from noon yesterday until what? i think 4:00 this morning. >> he just woke up. he looks terrible this morning. >> bill: poor guy. he can't even speak to defend himself. >> i've never seen anybody mix cocktails the way he did. he put a little bit of everything behind the bar. rum, tequila vodka tomato juice and pineapple juice. >> bill: it beats having to make a decision. >> exactly. >> why decide when you can have everything. >> bill: you just mix them altogether. big concert last night in new york for those who are still sober. the 12-12-12 to help the victims of hurricane sandy particularly in new york and new jersey. i guess the biggest attraction was paul mccartney appearing with nirvana. >> nirvana reunited. obviously they can't have all of the members since kurt cobain is no longer with us. paul mccartney stepped in to

be kurt cobain. >> bill: here's what it sounded like. ♪ ♪ >> bill: all right. >> i am very disappointed that they did not do a nirvana song. >> they didn't do one of the classics. >> they did a brand new song. >> it's called "cut me some slack," brand new song. >> bill: would have been nice to do one of the classic mccartney songs. >> he's recording that with dave grohl but i think that gawker said that this is the second worst thing to happen to nirvana fans. paul mccartney. >> i'm a big nirvana fan and i would love to see paul mccartney team up with them.

dave grohl might be the best drummer working and he doesn't even drum in his band, the foo fighters now. the fact that two of them are in a band now, it would be great. >> bill: coming up, congressman sandy levin from michigan is going to join us atop the next hour. we'll start out this hour by going out to michigan and talking to karla swift, head of the afl-cio in michigan. and karla davenport talking about whether or not we can see action on global warming but first, dan. >> this is the "full court press." >> quick check of other headlines making news. former president george w. bush is set to become a grandfather. daughter jenna hager bush announcing yesterday he's pregnant with her first child. the 31-year-old nbc contributor said so on "the today show." she's due in the spring. president bush said he won't change any diapers any time soon. he just wants to be the grandpa that drives the ford f-250 around the ranch with the kid in the pickup truck. >> bill: they asked president

bush what he wants his granddaughter or grandchild to call him. >> what did he say? >> bill: he said sir. >> all right okay. yeah, that's good. >> politifact is out with its lie of the year. according to the st. petersburg fact check arm, mitt romney's infamous jeep ad is the top lie of 2012. he claimed that jeep was packing up jobs and shipping them off to china. not the case. >> bill: got caught with that lie. >> the very last batch of twinkies from the shuddered hostess company has gone on sale. it is now basically gone. super value grocery chain in chicago made the final purchase from hostess. they got an order of 20,000 twinkies. they went on sale monday at 150 different stores. pretty much all gone by yesterday. >> bill: oh, my god. how about that. you don't think they ate them.

>> save them. >> they'll stay good for awhile. >> bill: sell them on ebay. yes, i have to tell you department of labor last night holiday party. hosted by secretary of labor hilda soliz and i talked to a couple of international labor presidents there lee saunders from afscme, joseph nigro from the sheet metalworkers. president jim hoffa from the teamsters was here on the program with us on monday. all of them said of course they're outraged by what happened in michigan. michigan just forcing through the republicans in the legislature, forcing through this right-to-work legislation. signed into law immediately. they're outraged by this. they vowed to continue the fight in michigan. and expect to have to continue that fight in other states. what is next? we're going to go out to michigan and say hello to karla swift who is the head of the michigan state afl-cio. hey, karla good to have you

with us this morning. >> caller: good morning, bill. good to be with you. >> bill: so governor rick snyder says it is your fault karla, because you guys put this initiative on the ballot that would have enshrined collective bargaining and if you hadn't done that, they wouldn't have stuck with you right to work legislations so it is all your fault, huh? >> that's an interesting spin on the facts but the fact is that governor snyder really lied to michigan citizens for two and a half years. he said over and over again that right to work wasn't on his agenda. >> bill: yeah. >> then last week, instead of engaging michiganders in any kind of open and honest conversation about this legislation, he rushed the bill through. he made the decision to move it. with legislators, that voters chose not to reflect. -- to re-elect because he wanted to avoid next year's legislators. >> bill: so will there be a democratic majority next year or

more democrats in the house and senate? >> there will be more democrats in the house next year. the senate was not changed at all in the 2012 election. but there will be more democrats in the house and the -- the margin is so -- is slimmer in a way that you know, when they did the count they knew that they couldn't win this kind of legislation next year. >> bill: the governor also said -- i don't believe a word he says, by the way, but i want to get your reaction. he called -- which i thought was outrageous -- he said this isn't anti-worker. this is really pro worker. what's the truth about right-to-work legislation karla? >> well, right to work means that across the board workers will fair worse in wages benefits pensions, on average workers in right-to-work states make about $1500 a year less.

so it means less spending, fewer jobs. weaker communities. and just when michigan was on the right track, the governor has put this kind of a devicive policy in place and it really is an attack on the middle class and all of the rebuilding that has been going on is threatened. >> bill: well, we fought the fight in wisconsin. fought it in ohio. and people are geared up all around the country. the labor presidents i talked to yesterday, at least three of them they're geared up to continue the fight in michigan. the question is what are the options available? is it possible to repeal this? is it possible to recall the governor? what are the options you're considering? >> well, clearly, michigan voters are going to have the last say when it comes to this. there are multiple ballot options. there are key senate races and the house is up again in 2014.

in fact, the governor is up, of course in 2014. and there are multiple ballot options. so we're looking now at you know, at the strategy for the next couple of years. and we're going to be organizing across the state and making sure that we're -- you know, aiming for a shift in power in the legislature and in the governor's office in 2014. and there are options to do a citizens initiated law to override. we'll be looking at all of those things. >> bill: that's particularly what i want to ask about. i'm from california. we have a referendum. if the legislature passes something people don't like, you get enough signatures, you can put it on the ballot and repeal it just like what was done in ohio. does that option exist in michigan? >> well, the option exists in

michigan but the sneaky way that this governor and this right wing legislature did this was they attached an appropriation to it. and in michigan, when there's an appropriation attached to a law it is referendum-proof. so we will not be able to repeal this law. but we will have to pass a new law to override it. >> bill: okay. now we talked to one of the leaders in wisconsin yesterday karla. we're talking again with karla swift, the president of the afl-cio in michigan. and your web site, i believe is miaflcio.org. is that correct? >> yes, that's right. >> bill: miaflcio.org. this leader from wisconsin john nichols said one of the first things they did in wisconsin is they hired a good group of lawyers to challenge their legislation in the courts. is this another option?

do you see some possible legal action to challenge the law? >> yeah, we have a legal team that has been looking at that and we'll be making decisions soon about how to move on that front as well. so we'll be moving on the legal front. we'll be moving on the electoral front. we'll be moving on the organizing front and the political front and that's our job for the next two years. >> bill: absolutely. i'll tell you one thing karla we all know this. it would not have happened if current tv's jennifer granholm were still the governor of michigan. no doubt about that, right? >> we absolutely know that. the direction this state has gone in the short two years since she's been out of office is just -- is just outrageous. they started off by taxing senior's pensions and cutting education and cutting things like earned income tax credits. just a tax one after another on working people. you would have never seen that

happen with jennifer granholm. >> bill:, no she was great. we love having her on current tv. but i know you miss her in michigan. and again, she would have held the line against this. karla swift you got your work cut out for you. thank you for your leadership in michigan and you know you'll's be joined by your brothers and sisters all across the country starting right here with the bill press team. thanks karla. >> thanks so much, bill. take care. >> bill: karla swift miaflcio.org. check it out. >> announcer: this is the "full court press." the "bill press show." live on your radio and on current tv. going to do the young turks. i think the number one thing that viewers like about the young turks is that we're honest. they know that i'm not bs'ing them with some hidden agenda, actually supporting one party or the other. when the democrats are wrong, they know

that i'm going to be the first one to call them out. they can question whether i'm right, but i think that the audience gets that this guy, to the best of his ability, is trying to look out for us.

[ ♪ theme ♪ ]

>> announcer: this is the "bill press show." live on your radio and current tv. >> announcer: chatting with you live at current.com/billpress. this is the "bill press show." >> bill: 24 minutes after the hour. and the next segment, we're going to get into global warming. whether we can expect any action on global warming with coral davenport, covers environmental and energy issues for the "national journal." i was talking with karla swift from michigan about plans to try to overturn the right-to-work legislation. michigan becoming the 24th state this week to have right-to-work legislation. thanks to governor rick snyder who campaigned for governor saying man the last thing i want is to get into any of the battles over labor issues like scott walker in wisconsin and john kasich. uh-huh, that's not me. i don't want anything to do with

any of these challenges. he was lying through his teeth. paul calling from out in seattle, washington. what do you say? >> hey bill, listen, i was born and raised in detroit michigan. i'm proud alumnus of michigan state university. i have family back there. but i gotta tell you i'm unsympathetic and let me tell you why. the attitude of people back there, even democrats is that anybody who's got two more nickels to run together than i do their attitude is take his nickels away! don't give me some more. it is take somebody else's away. they knew what they were voting for. the whole legislature the governor everything is all right wing. they've been doing this for 20 years since they got john engler in there. that's when i left. the people of michigan are going to have to pull their heads out of their rears and start waking up to what -- the thing that really makes me angry is not so much what's going to happen to them but how it hurts labor around the country! >> bill: sure. and you know other states, paul, there will be other governors who will say hey they got away

with it in michigan. let's do it here. >> i'm in a true blue state and i'm sticking with it. >> bill: good for you paul. unfortunately, there are too many members of labor unions who voted for this jerk, rick snyder thinking that oh, man he won't hurt me. but boy, he's good on guns. i'll go with him or something like that. laura is down in -- i never know produce to pronounce it. sebring, florida. >> caller: how are you bill? >> bill: i'm good. a little upset this morning but what's up? >> caller: i'm from a big ole right-to-work state. florida. and i'll tell you what, my husband and i moved here seven years ago. he got a job working for a man. never paid him a dime because it was a right-to-work state. how stupid are we right? >> bill: yeah. >> so we took him to court and we won. so he has to pay all of the backlog of overtime. >> bill: good for you.

that's just another example right. about $12,000 to $15,000 the average worker makes less per year in a right-to-work state than in a state where you don't have right-to-work legislation. >> my husband just got a new job now making $9.50 an hour. >> bill: wow. yeah, there you go. in florida. that's considered a living wage? i don't think so. laura, good to talk with you emphasizing that score. peter, what else is going on? >> a new poll put out by nbc "wall street journal" on the fiscal cliff how americans want to see this resolved. 65% say -- >> bill: they want a deal. >> congressional leaders should make a compromise and make a deal which includes higher tax rates for wealthier americans and cuts to entitlement programs the people have spoken. make it happen. >> bill: you know what, on the

higher tax rates, what gets me is so john boehner and the republican leadership are fighting for the 2%, right and they don't care about the 98%. this poll proves it. >> announcer: this is the "bill press show." every day presents another exciting issue. from financial regulation, iran getting a nuclear bomb, civil war in syria, fraud on wall street, destruction of medicare and medicaid. there are real issues here. having been a governor, i know that trade-offs are tough. things everyday exploding around the world that leave no shortage for exciting conversations. i want our viewer to understand why things have happened. at the end of the show, you know what has happened, why its happened and more importantly, what's going to happen tomorrow.

>> announcer: this is the "bill press show." >> bill: you bet it is. 33 minutes after the hour now here. it is the "full court press" on a thursday morning. december 13. coming to you live from our nation's capital and our studio on capitol hill brought to you today by the international association of sheet metal air rail and transportation workers

under president joseph nigro. good men and women of the sheet metalworkers union giving a fair day's work for a fair day's pay. you bet. and their new web site is smart dash union.org. i like that. a lot of speculation here about what president obama's going to do when it comes to his cabinet. we thought last friday we would hear who the new secretary of state was going to be and who the new secretary of defense was going to be. didn't happen. president obama, jay carney told us at the white house, the day before yesterday is continuing to work on those issues, have meetings on the issues. no announcement to make. but coral davenport from "national journal" said if we get john kerry in either one of the positions we might see something happening on global warming. >> nice to be here. >> bill: she covers the environmental issues for the "national journal." you and everybody else thinks it

is a slam dunk that john kerry will get one or the other. >> not necessarily a slam dunk. you know, a couple of weeks ago i would have lined up with everyone else and said it was very clear that susan rice was the top contender. >> bill: for state. >> for state. now it appears increasingly difficult as much as the president would like to put her in that position, it would be difficult to get confirmed by the senate. >> bill: because of benghazi. >> because of the way the republicans have highlighted this as an issue. john kerry who has been you know the bridesmaid for this position for years and years and years, he is dying for the position. we know that he wants it. he's all lined up and ready to go. it is also very clear senate republicans have made it clear he will sail through a confirmation and that's important. so now it is kind of looking -- by process of elimination that he potentially is back in the front of the line. he remains a top contender. no question. >> bill: would he take defense

if he doesn't get state? >> i make no claims to reading the mind of john kerry. he sphnt made himself available to the press to talk about it. >> bill: it would not be a step down to be secretary of defense. >> of course not. he has a lot of experience on foreign policy issues. it would be an appropriate fit. >> bill: no matter what they said in 2004, he is a genuine america war hero. i want to throw that in here. your article is interesting in "national journal." a secretary john kerry either state or defense would elevate climate issues. why do you say that? >> it's interesting, i don't know if a lot of people realize if a lot of americans realize that climate change is an issue that john kerry is extremely passionate about. as a foreign policy and national security issue. and i think a lot of democrats especially on the liberal end of the spectrum care about climate

change and talk about it. john kerry has been working sort of, you know, behind the scenes on climate change issues for 20 years. he went to -- he attended the first big u.n. climate summit in rio de janeiro in 1992. this is an issue he works on with his wife, teresa heinz kerry. he was the author of a major senate climate change bill. he's gone to a lot of the u.n. summits and worked behind the scenes and in 2009 in copenhagen which was sort of the big summit where president obama came, john kerry went several days ahead of the president and ahead of hillary clinton and he met with environment ministers foreign ministers, gave speeches, gave talks. really did just kind of the hard slog, unglamorous work of diplomacy, trying to get something done. this is an issue that is tremendously tremendously important to him. i've talked to a lot of people who say you know, a lot of

secretaries of state will pick one or two issues that they will prioritize as we saw hillary clinton do with women and girls. and everyone i've spoken to says absolutely. climate change will almost certainly be john kerry's if he's secretary of state. >> bill: this is -- it's not just john kerry but at least in the progressive community there's a lot of hope that this will be a priority for president obama. also. in this second term. so if you have kerry at state you also need obama in the white house to make this a priority. any sign of that? >> with john kerry, you really know what you're getting with climate change. he's passionately committed. >> bill: president obama hasn't shown that yet. >> not the same kind of passion and commitment. he has talked about climate change in speeches. i think it was very significant that he talked about it on his election night speech. that was an important speech to

talk about it. but in the white house they haven't decided what they're going to do. they haven't decided is this an issue where we'll spend political capital. they want to do tax reform and immigration. there's only so much you can do. so if we were to see a secretary of state really prioritize this and say this has gotta be a number one issue. this is's did fining issue for u.s. foreign policy. you know, secretary of state is kind of a first among equals in the cabinet. and would be taken seriously by the president. so secretary of state who brought a tremendous amount of strength and credibility and passion to that issue -- >> bill: john kerry secretary of state. 1-866-55-press. what do you think? now, i just have -- the other half, right or the other side of the coin maybe whatever analogy you want to use, if he becomes

secretary of state some people say oh my god that's going to open up a senate race in massachusetts. and that means scott brown gets automatically back in. not necessarily. it depends on who runs against scott brown. i had a long talk saturday night with ed marquee congressman ed markey ninth in seniority in the house of representatives. he's told me, he told other people too, he would take a look at it which is just this short of saying he would definitely run. but if ed markee was senator from massachusetts, you would replace one champion on global warming with another one who is probably as informed and as passionate about the issue as john kerry is. >> absolutely. ed was the chief author of the climate change bill in the house. the same one that kerry led in the senate, eth has also done yeoman's work, going to these international conferences slogging through on international climate change and diplomacy issues. knows the issue.

knows how it plays on the hill. it is a top tier issue for ed markee too. >> that would be great. >> now, you mentioned -- >> bill: we were chatting earlier, there could be some news from state department this week on an important issue. keystone. >> on keystone, yes. not a final decision. i don't think that we'll see -- >> bill: let's back up. keystone, it was up and republicans were sort of forcing the state department to make a decision by last december, wasn't it? >> so what happened was about a year and a half ago, the state department was moving toward making a decision to approve the keystone pipeline. >> bill: reviewing it as they have to because it is an international pipeline. >> sure. so the state department and ultimately the president makes a decision -- if it's in the national interest. that's sort of the broad terms. it looked very -- they were really moving along toward approving it. it was very likely they were going to approve it.

and then president obama's environmental base got all fired up about this. rallied around the white house. said if you approve this, this sort of puts us over the edge toward global warming. >> bill: had a pipeline encircled the white house grounds. yeah. >> and so republicans really seized on this. they saw this as a great political opportunity, tried to force the issue and said the president has to make a decision by the end be of the year. what ended up happening is they got kind of politically lucky. there were problems in the actual root of the pipeline. it went through an aquifer environmentally sensitive aquifer in nebraska and so it got sent back for rerouting. they had to come back with a different route that wouldn't hurt the aquifer and very conveniently for president obama, it looked like that rerouting and the new studies on that routing weren't going to be complete until after the election. so he got to punt on that decision which would have really galvanized opponents and

supporters either way. so now they rerouted it. he's been re-elected. and so it's back. it is time to make the final decision. and it looks like -- >> bill: the final decision on the new route. >> the final decision on the new route. and so it looks like possibly as early as this week. maybe even today or tomorrow. the state department will release its environmental impact statement on the new route. its analysis of the new route. that's not the final decision. that doesn't say yes or no. but it will probably give us a strong signal of which way the final decision will make. the final decision will go. if the environmental impact statement looks good, says you know, this route's fine. there's nothing wrong with it. doesn't hurt anything. you know, it would be hard to imagine then that the president would go ahead and deny and stop the pipeline.

>> bill: here we go. keystone pipeline. if i had to bet, i would have bet last year that they were going to approve it. and i would bet this year even more that they would approve it. i don't think they should. i don't think we get anything out of the pipeline from what i've seen. -- >> pay attention to the report, the new state department report coming up soon. >> bill: heading in that direction. we've got john kerry secretary of state. what do you think? 1-866-55-press. keystone pipeline. 1-866-55-press. coral davenport stirring it up this morning. we'll be right back. >> announcer: this is the "bill press show."

always outspoken, now unleashed. joy behar. on my next show i get serious with comedian kevin kealon and i have a few laughs with the actor jeremy irons. only on current tv.

>> announcer: this is the "full court press." the "bill press show." live on your radio and on current tv. >> bill: 13 minutes before the top of the hour. congressman sandy levin from michigan in studio, not hurricane sandy congressman sandy leen in studio. >> big difference. >> bill: top of the next hour here. we're talking energy issues, john kerry bringing global warming maybe to the state department. with coral davenport from "national journal." we'll get back to our conversation and your calls in just a second. with the holidays here, now is a great time for you to visit tryancestry.com and join me in this incredible journey of discovering your family's roots. probably heard me say i was able thanks to ancestry.com and their -- what was it? 10 or 14 billion historical

documents online, i've been able to trace my family from delaware city delaware to salem new jersey and all the way across the pond to latvia to riga in latvia. now is the time to get into this. when your family gets together for your holiday fun you'll be able to share your discoveries. start today. share my incredible experience by visiting ancestry.com. see what you can discover with two weeks free. that's what they'll offer two weeks free. start your journey today to share your finds with your family over the holidays. visit tryancestry.com. that's tryancestry.com. and wouldn't you think this -- when do you think this decision is going to come down? we thought it would be last friday. >> secretary of state? i wish i knew. >> bill: really? no insights into that? >> by the way, we're tweeting at bpshow on twitter. the g.o.p. is salivating to get kerry out of the senate to get

scott brown back in. not good for america. >> bill: you know what? i still want to point out scott brown, first of all he's tainted now tarnished because he lost to elizabeth warren. two, this is a different time than when he ran before. he'll have a tougher candidate. he'll have either -- i think ed markee or duval patrick. it ain't automatic. >> we're tweeting at bpshow. find us there. >> bill: tula is calling from milwaukee. what do you say? >> caller: hi. i just wanted to say that i love john kerry like anybody else but i think no, if the president wanted susan rice, as secretary of defense, he should get some backbone and fight for her. don't just be intimidated by republicans again just like the cliff. if we have to go over the cliff we may suffer but you know, rather than him give in to all the time, he needs to fight for what he wants and what we put him in there for. >> bill: all right, i hear

you, tula. that's an interesting question, coral is whether the president would say all right, john mccain and lindsey graham, you want to fight you've got one. >> it looks like at the offset, that's what he was doing. we've really seen the president in his post-election press conference -- >> bill: i was there in the front row. he was pissed. >> he was pissed. he was fighting back. he seemed ready to put his back into it. it seemed that that was the strategy. we're not backing down on this. as time goes on, the question becomes as much as you fight you can't get those votes. if you can't get those votes you don't get your candidate. there's another issue too. in his second term, the president's going to probably have to confirm -- get a lot of cabinet members through. so you kind of have to pick and choose your battles because you do need to have people -- he's going to need a treasury secretary. probably going to need an energy secretary. you can't have a protacted fight about every single one of those.

he's probably going to -- likely he may need a supreme court justice. >> bill: or two or three. >> right right. so you kind of have to pick and choose where your battles are going to be. >> bill: brenda is out in cincinnati. good morning. >> good morning. and i'm calling regarding -- i almost agree with everything the lady tula said. i think that was her name. oh i believe in picking and fighting our battles. i fought the battle hard here in cincinnati. i like john kerry like she said. john kerry is weak, i'm sorry. i voted for him. but he's not the strongest person against the republicans. and we need to pick our battles and start now. i'm sick and tired of being told by republicans who blankety blank we can pick and who we can choose while they think this is the reason why they're the way they are now because this president gave gave, gave. i'm sick of the give. i worked my butt getting people out to win ohio. i've been writing him. do not pick john kerry. i'm sorry. i don't care how many battles he

has to fight. he ain't got no more time to run. fight him off. i'm here to help fight against all of those people in michigan, too. i'm sick of this. oh, we have to do this because of the republicans. >> rack her. >> bill: brenda, you're my baby! i love you! interesting, that spirit, right? i think if the president went with susan rice, it sounds like he would have a -- make a lot of people happy and have a lot of people fighting with him. >> doesn't mean he wins. >> bill: fight the fight. >> it seems there are a lot of president's supporters who are pushing this. they don't do the senate confirmation votes. i think -- i think that's probably the calculation that's going on. >> bill: that's exactly right. you know. i have one announcement to make before we break here. and that is i'm going to be on vacation between christmas and new year's this year and brenda from cincinnati is going to be our guest host. we're going to turn the microphone -- >> got progressive fire!

>> bill: turn it over to her and brenda's in charge. controller -- coral davenport thank you for coming in this morning. president obama, we'll tell you what's on his schedule today when we come back. >> announcer: this is the "bill press show." i'm actually looking at the wood grilled chicken "talking points" that the right have about "the heavy hand of government". i want to have that conversation. really! you know, i'd like to arm our viewers with the ability to argue with their conservative uncle joe over the dinner table. [ male announcer ] red lobster's hitting the streets to tell real people about our new 15 under $15 menu. oh my goodness! oh my gosh this looks amazing! [ male announcer ] our new maine stays! 15 entrees under $15 seafood, chicken and more! oo! the tilapia with roasted vegetables! i'm actually looking at the wood grilled chicken with portobello wine sauce.

that pork chop was great! no more fast food friday's! we're going to go to red lobster. yep. [ male announcer ] come try our new menu and sea food differently! and introducing 7 lunch choices for just $7.99. salad, sandwiches, and more. [ singing christmas carols in background ] aunt sally's singing again. it's a tradition honey. [ singing christmas carols ] mmmm. [ female announcer ] make new traditions with pillsbury grands! cinnamon rolls. ♪ ♪ [ female announcer ] holiday cookies are a big job. everything has to be just right. perfection is in the details. ♪ ♪ get to holiday fun faster with pillsbury cookie dough.

[ ♪ theme ♪ ] >> announcer: this is the "bill press show." >> announcer: this is the "full court press." the "bill press show" live on your radio and on current tv. >> bill: well, at the top of the next hour, congressman sandy levin from the state of michigan

will be here. a michigander. >> a michigander. i just learned that. >> bill: i know. we heard it again this morning. he will be here in studio with us along with in studio, bob cusack managing editor of the hill. great newspaper covering everything happening at the hill on the hill and at the white house. president obama spending a lot of time behind closed doors today. we're sure he's going to be heavy in meetings on the fiscal cliff. and on changes in his cabinet. the only two things on his public schedule is that he will get the daily briefing today with the vice president at 9:45 at the white house. and then this evening at 7:40 p.m. at the white house president will be hosting a hanukkah reception. he's been having a lot of christmas parties. the white house tonight is the hanukkah reception. i should know third or fourth night of hanukkah. at any rate, we're into hanukkah

here. president obama marking that this evening at the white house. jay carney will hold his regular press briefing at 1:00 today. and i'll be there representing all of you. >> announcer: this is the "bill press show."

[ ♪ theme ♪ ] >> bill: hey, good morning everybody! it is thursday, december 13. this is the "full court press." welcome to the program here on current tv coming to you live all the way across this great land of ours from our studio on capitol hill in washington, d.c.

our nation's capital. with everything else going on here today president obama at the request of governors christie and cuomo president obama has asked congress for an extra $60 billion to help those two states, new york and new jersey, recover from the impact of hurricane sandy. but republicans in congress are balking. they're not buying it. they say there's no evidence there was that much damage from hurricane sandy. oh yeah? maybe they ought to talk to governor christie about that. we'll get into that and a whole lot more here. first we take time out to get the latest, the current news update with lisa ferguson out in los angeles. hi lisa. good morning. >> hey bill. good morning everyone. hillary clinton now has plans to testify on the benghazi attack. she will speak to the house and senate foreign affairs committees on december 20th. amid security over -- scrutiny over embassy security and the talking points given to u.n. ambassador susan rice. before clinton testifies a

state department accountability board will release a report on those attacks in libya. the report will consider whether washington gave enough attention to potential threats and how it responded to security requests from u.s. diplomats abroad. the state department is also speaking out on north korea's missile launch calling it highly provocative and saying the country will now face international consequences. north korea's foreign ministry asked the international community not to blow the launch out of proportion. but by firing that missile the country violated two resolutions of the u.n. security council. the u.s.a. department said yesterday this will further isolate the north korean regime and further impoverish the country's people. and an nyu grad student is set up with u.s. drone strikes. he's taking it upon himself to tweet every single strike dating back ten years. he has opened the account at

drone stream where you can find more than 150 tweets. each one citing a different attack. begley originally created it to notify users of each strike but apple rejected the app three times, once for objectionable content. more bill press is coming up after the break. stay with us. you're about to watch an ad message created by a current tv viewer for capella university. matter. education is the key. it is the vehicle. it's the way in which we evolve. every journey is different every possibility is unique. but the beginning, the beginning is my craft. i'm an ordinary person striving to achieve extraordinary things. it started with a dream and i'm on my way there.

rich, chewy caramel rolled up in smooth milk chocolate. don't forget about that payroll meeting. rolo.get your smooth on. also in minis. [ ♪ theme ♪ ] >> announcer: broadcasting >> announcer: broadcasting across the nation on your radio and on current tv, this is the "bill press show." >> bill: president obama asking $60 billion to help new jersey and new york recover from hurricane sandy. but republicans in congress say we don't know that there was that much damage from hurricane sandy. maybe they ought to ask governor christie about that.

good morning everybody. what do you say? it is thursday, december 13. this is the "full court press." we're coming to you live coast-to-coast all the wray across this great land of ours on current tv and on your local progressive talk radio station. good to have you with us this morning. remember, you can join the conversation any time by giving us a call at 1-866-55-press. or joining us on twitter. hey, hell, if the pope can tweet, so can we and so can you. join us on twitter at bpshow. for this hour, we start off -- man, i gotta tell you so blessed to have in studio with us two good friends from the state of michigan, congressman sandy levin. great to see you. welcome back. >> nice to see you again. >> bill: last time we were together in charlotte at the convention. >> we were. >> bill: indeed. good party down there. >> it was good for america. >> bill: exactly. and bob cusack is the managing editor of "the hill," my favorite newspaper here in washington, d.c. and in fact, i even contribute to it once in awhile.

>> yes, do you. >> bill: maybe i have a conflict of interest. bob, good to see you too. >> good to see you. >> bill: i want to tell you both before we get started on the issues of the day i had an unusual experience here in our nation's capital. a lot of security around, right washington. i went in a federal building on capitol hill yesterday. and i was -- put my little -- my pen and my wallet and my cell phone in a little tray to go through the metal-detector and then -- i have a little implant. i said to the security guard should i walk through there or not? and he said no you just walk around. i walked around. i said so do you want to pat me down? he said no. you can just go in but just don't shoot anybody while you're in there. >> really? [ laughter ] >> that makes you feel safe, huh? >> bill: i thought this is a new level of nonsecurity. >> that ever happened before? >> bill: no, no.

>> i think we better go on to another subject. >> bill: it sort of blew my mind. i thought whoa! how many other people were allowed in here. i want you to know you're well-protected. >> there are other issues to talk about in washington. >> bill: yes including michigan. the state of michigan. i saw you congressman photo of you. greeting -- if i'm correct greeting president obama when he arrived in michigan earlier in the week. >> that was my brother. >> bill: i thought you were there with him. >> i was but at the factory. >> bill: right. at the factory the daimler factory, this is the day before governor snyder signed that right-to-work legislation. the president spoke out against it, said it was a right to freeload or right to work for less right? so you would think of any state where this would happen, why michigan? >> because the radical right essentially has taken over.

taken over the republican party. you know, not to take too long but i do tell the story the act was put together in the mid '60s. i chaired the senate labor committee as a young freshman. so i chaired the committee and republican employees had no rights in those days. they could not be represented. so we thought that should change. so i sat down, wrote out the law. and then i sat down with the governor of michigan. he and i, one on one, he was in his rocking chair with his blue sweater. and we had some issues to work out. we did an hour and a half or so. he said to me, as i remember it, sandy, we've got an agreement. who was the governor? >> bill: george romney. >> george romney. we took the bill to the floor. and every republican voted for the bill except one.

it passed as i remember 35-1 in the house with only five or six republicans voting no. guy vander jack, later became a member of congress, a conservative member, voted for it. the majority leader voted for it. so essentially rick snyder has thrown aside the tradition in michigan of having republicans who can sit down with democrats and work out issues. instead, there's been a right wing turn. very right wing and snyder decided to join the right wing crowd. >> bill: and when he ran for office, he portrayed himself and presented himself as just the opposite as i recall. he was a man who said he didn't want that divisive stuff that was going on in wisconsin and ohio. there was a phrase -- forward positive thinking or something like that that he talked about.

what was that? just a lie? >> well, we'll see. i don't know what he believed. he said it wasn't on his agenda. it wasn't on his agenda. then all of a sudden, it is at the top of his agenda. and so instead of a united michigan and he talked that way he now presides over a bitterly divided michigan. bitterly divided. >> do you think snyder and the republicans who voted for it are going to pay a price? >> oh, he said let's move on. let's get this behind us. >> bill: that's what snyder said. >> that's what snyder said. now, it is smack in front of michigan. you know, talk to any ceo of the big three ask them about labor management relations the sad part of this is when you don't give workers a voice it creates dissension within. there's no voice to talk to management. and progressive managers like

the big three, they say look we, in the last 10, 15 years have developed a really strong, positive relationship between labor and management. just walk into any plant. like the daimlerchrysler -- it is not chrysler anymore. it is a daimler plant. just walk in and talk to the management. in fact, i did talk to management. i talked to labor representatives and they talk how they worked together, these last years. he's decided to do is -- the governor, is the opposite. i talked to someone who's a union rep and he goes down to north carolina where there's a plant there, a daimler plant doing the same work. and it is a right-to-work state. >> bill: mmm. >> so they have a t-shirt there and it says "i ride, you pay." >> bill: oh, wow.

freeloaders. >> free riders. so people don't have to pay a share of the cost of representation. and participating in that is such a good, american idea. isn't that responsibility? >> bill: of course. if any state exemplifies what can be done when labor and management works together it is michigan and uaw and the big three. as you say. and rick snyder just breaking with that tradition. so congressman, what happens -- i have to say for current tv, this would not have happened if our current tv's jennifer granholm were still governor of michigan. >> absolutely. >> bill: right? >> absolutely. you know, it is such a step backward. it is such a step backward. it goes back 67 years. international relations act essentially said america's better off if workers have a

voice. what made the middle class of michigan? >> bill: sure. union workers. >> where does the union movement go? this is a big blow. what should they learn from this going forward so this doesn't happen in other states because as i understand it, right-to-work laws are in about half the states. >> bill: now 24. michigan is 24. >> i think it means work harder. the labor movement has worked hard. what it means i think is having a stronger conversation in america about whether we want workers to have a voice in the workplace. and if they don't what are the consequences? you know, we've had a flattening of income for middle class in this country. it's been -- dramatic, right? you've talked about it. in your paper which i read every morning, the minute i get there i'm sure you've written about

it. >> yep. >> you've had a flattening for most middle income families, it has been just treading water. and if they don't have a voice in the workplace they won't get a decent wage. they won't get a decent share of prosperity. they'll begin to have pressure on their pensions. the labor movement helped to build the middle class and give people a chance to have a decent wage, to have healthcare. you know, when i ran for governor long ago in macomb county, very blue collar place only 10% of the kids of college age were in higher ed. now it is 50%. >> bill: yeah. >> so you have the middle class with more opportunity in part, because the worker was represented in the workplace and whereas able to negotiate a fair share. instead of now having a fair share, you're going to have free

riders. >> bill: congressman i talked to three international presidents, labor unions, lee saunders from afscme, jim hoffa from the teamsters and joseph nigro from the sheet metalworkers, they're very angry, outraged, not totally surprised because they knew that even after wisconsin and ohio, things were going to continue. but they -- they're really pissed off and they want to continue the fight. what are their options in michigan? can you put this on the ballot? and overturn it? or recall rick snyder or what's being considered? >> it is difficult. you know, another unfair part of this was that the republicans put into the bill a phony appropriation provision. we asked governor snyder to say he would take that out. he had the possibility to line-item veto --

>> bill: right. >> he listened like a sphinx. he wouldn't give any back and forth so he signed the bill. so it may be that -- >> bill: left that measure in. >> it will be challenged. but there is an election coming. i remind governor snyder this is a democracy. and you will face the electorate and you will face the music. and you will face the discord that you have helped to create in the state of michigan. and i feel so strongly about this because as i mention i worked with republicans like governor romney, like bill milken, who could sit down, who had a feel for what it was -- you know. i read this -- i showed you this earlier. what he said, governor snyder said. he said i'm pro collective

bargaining. he says i think it's a good thing, this legislation. i think it's pro worker. it is orwellian. >> bill: it is orwellian. >> do you think he's trying -- think about his future and this is how you get your chops in the g.o.p. is you take on labor? because obviously this is going to be something that -- in the next election, is going to be talked about a lot. >> this issue is now front and center. not only in michigan but i think in this country. >> bill: yep. absolutely. we have to take a break here. congressman sandy levin representing -- what's your district? >> 12 until another few days then it goes to the ninth. >> bill: i see. 12th to ninth congressional district in michigan. bob cues an, managing editor of "the hill." we're talking especially, the right to work debacle in

michigan. we want to get your views congressman. whether republicans and democrats in this town can work together avoid going over the fiscal cliff. we'll be right back on today's "full court press." >> announcer: on your radio and on current tv, this is the "full court press."

>> wow! i've never seen anything like this. >> when disaster strikes sometimes the only way out is to look within. current tv digs deep into the extraordinary tales of heroism determination and escape. "trapped" experience the drama. back to back to back. >> hold on mates! >> catch the "trapped" mini-marathon saturday

starting at 1 eastern. on current tv. >> announcer: heard around the country and seen on current tv this is the "bill press show." >> bill: thursday, december 13. bob cusack, managing editor of "the hill" is here this hour as a "friend of bill." we're joined by congressman sandy leven from the great state of michigan. a true michigander. we like that phrases. michigander. >> so do i. >> bill: yeah. congressman, you were talking about the day when you could sit down with republicans and make a deal work out -- work out solutions to problems. that day no longer exists in

michigan. but it looks like it doesn't exist in this congress anymore does it? >> it is very worrisome. we were talking just earlier about what's going to happen here. christmas is -- unless they change the calendar, it is next tuesday. then you have between christmas and new year's. the republicans simply have to accept the fact there was an election. we asked people when they run for president to say what they stand for. and this president made very clear, if you ask the public what were the two or three or four major issues in the campaign, what would they say? >> definitely tax policies was right at the forefront. no doubt about it. >> bill: taxes going up on the top 2%, yes, obama, no, romney. obama talked about that at every stop. >> if you look in your newspaper

how many times that was stated in your newspaper, my guess is it would seem like endlessly. >> yes. there was no doubt about it. that was the big -- the big debate and even republicans who thought they were going to win the election before the election, they were very confident so that they were like already thinking okay, we're going to extend the bush tax rates. romney will be president. they were already planning that out. obviously they were disappointed on november 6th. >> they should listen to the election results. what we have to do to break this logjam is if i might say so -- the speaker has to say to the president, mr. president, you stood for this. you won. we don't like it. but you won. so we know we have to accept it. we have to go back to the clinton era rates. so now let's sit down and work out the rest of it. but i guess he hasn't said that yet. but he really has to do that because otherwise we're headed

for the cliff. the republicans have to really decide whether they want to go over the cliff to take the country with them because grover norquist is more important than anything else. and i think that's so risky for this nation. by the way we also have unemployment insurance two million people are going to lose their unemployment insurance immediately for the first time, it is going to be like that. and then you have this amt the alternative minimum tax and it will be a mess if we don't do something. the answer is let's pass the senate bill that keeps the middle class tax cut that doesn't keep it for the wealthy 2% in the hands of amt then we have to handle unemployment insurance. >> bill: if that bill, which john boehner so far refuses to bring up for a vote in the

senate, the bill that passed the senate which would give actually 100% of americans a tax cut up to the first $250,000 -- do you think there would be enough republicans to vote for it to get it past the house? >> i think so. because what's the choice? because it then paints the alternatives very clear. it is that or going over the cliff. >> congressman, do you think that president obama has to give john boehner anything, whether it's medicare testing medicare eligibility age obviously has the electorate, what do you think? >> bill: we need a quick answer here, congressman. >> the answer is they need to sit down and talk about what else. i think the president has already proposed some budget cuts. they need to sit down and talk about them. i think the age issue the medicare age change is a very

difficult issue but the president is willing to sit down and talk. if the speaker is willing to. >> bill: congressman, good friend, great to see you. thanks for coming in this morning. >> announcer: this is the "bill press show." going to do the young turks. i think the number one thing that viewers like about the young turks is that we're honest. they know that i'm not bs'ing them with some hidden agenda, actually supporting one party or the other. when the democrats are wrong, they know that i'm going to be the first one to call them out. they can question whether i'm right, but i think that the audience gets that this guy, to the best of his ability, is trying to look out for us.

>> announcer: this is the "bill press show." live on your radio and current tv. >> bill: here we go. 33 minutes now after the hour. it is "full court press" on this thursday. december 13. and the "full court press" brought to you today by the national education association the good men and women of the nea, creating public schools for

every student in america. you bet. under president dennis van roekel. you can find out more about their good work at nea.org. nea.org. bob cusack still with us here as a "friend of bill." managing editor for "the hill." bob, i want to switch to -- not that we've exhausted the fiscal cliff. we'll come back to that. but another big issue congress -- justice antonin scalia got in a little hot water this week. >> you mean noni? >> bill: that's his nickname. antonin scalia. he was at princeton and somebody said you know, justice in the past you've equated homosexuality with beastality. is that really fair and he said basically his own style hey get with it! i mean if you can't have moral feelings about homosexuality can you have moral feelings about murder. puts the two in the same

sentence. so the question becomes now you have same sex before the supreme court. can he fairly and evenly and openly rule in that case? hasn't he already made up his mind? the question is raised. george takei was asked about this yesterday. great actor. remembered mostly from "star wars". >> "star trek"! oh, my god! >> bill: he predates. he's "star trek." george takei no doubt about it. his answer here. >> jaws 'tis scalia needs to consider recusing himself. he is obviously not unbiased. he is clearly biased in this situation. so how can he look at the issue and make a judgment fairly? >> oh, my. >> bill: good question, huh? >> scalia does a lot of public

events, more so than any other justice by far. then you're always going to be asked the question especially if you have open q&a. you see him occasionally on capitol hill, whoever he is meeting with. >> bill: he's on fox news and gives speeches all over the place. he talks about issues that are before the court. gun control, gay rights. >> it is a valid question when you're making the public statements, how can you be impartial. we know which way scalia is going to go anyway but still, it is a legal question. wait a minute. >> bill: most americans still believe that supreme court justices are sort of -- you know, the eunuchs you know, above the law. you don't hear from them except when they write from the bench or ask a question from the bench and that they have an open mind like on every issue. >> right. >> bill: ain't the case. >> you think of justice -- chief justice roberts. he does not give a lot of -- we haven't actually heard from him about his apparently reversal on

obamacare. we have not heard because he doesn't do a lot -- he testifies before congress when he has to. but otherwise that's about it. >> bill: yeah. so now you and i -- i think most people know that with the supreme court rules are a little different right. there are set rules for when you should recuse yourself and not on the lower courts but on the supreme court, it is up to the justice himself or herself. so scalia, himself will have to make this decision. >> right. that's right. we've seen kagan's cues herself from one case. i believe it was an immigration case, i'm not sure. justice thomas was also -- a lot of people on the left were saying he should recuse himself on healthcare. >> bill: he did not. >> exactly. >> bill: of course, we famously in 2004, justice scalia and dick cheney and the duck hunting trip down to louisiana. and scalia says the proudest thing he's done on his time on

the bench was not to recuse himself in that case. even though cheney energy task force case was before the court. >> that's right. >> i don't think that's the proudest thing he's ever done was to be a jerk to keep himself on. >> bill: i think the bottom line is the chances that scalia will recuse himself are probably zero to none. >> remember, he wanted to be chief justice. he was almost openly campaigning for it. so i just think that you know, roberts probably is wincing when he sees those reports of scalia going out there and making those comments. >> bill: now, you know, you people -- your people at the hill know more than anybody about what's going on at the white house and the capitol. and john boehner yesterday told members of congress don't make any plans for christmas. was he just bluffing? >> i think there's some bluffing here. senate majority harry reid said something similar. you know i think that they're actually getting closer despite the rhetoric because we're not seeing a lot of leaks on either

side. either from the white house or boehner. they've had the phone calls. we don't know what really went on during them. before, we got some semblance of what went on. i think there is incentive on both sides to get a deal. now whether it is done before christmas or new year's, i'm not sure. boehner needs a if fatigue factor. he knows it will be the toughest moment of his speakership. he has to get 100 votes on his side. he has to get something from president obama whether it's more aggressive medicare means testing, something he can go back with a shiny object to his tea party guys and say at least we got this. and of course, we have to increase taxes because well, we lost the election. that's going to be very hard sell. >> bill: so this -- does this -- this have to be entitlement so-called entitlement reform? >> i think it's gotta be some type of change in entitlements. it doesn't have to be a radical change. but whether it's means testing

medicare so rich people aren't getting the medicare benefit they used to. >> bill: i read in your paper this morning speaker poll osi has said -- pelosi has said no way to that and democrats are lined up behind her. >> they're most outspoken on raising the eligibility age. of course, that was on the table in 2011. when they almost had to grand bargain between obama and boehner. you know what, i think that obama has got to make the decision. am i going to win this negotiating battle 95-5 against boehner or win it 70-30. we know he will win it. he won the election. does he give a little something to boehner and then tell his troops listen, i had to show some good faith. i want to see washington work a little bit better than the first term and i think he's going to do that. i think he's going to give boehner something so he has a little bit of cover. it will be a civil war on the g.o.p. >> bill: so the elements of whatever grand or not so grand bargain we might get this time would include tax rates going up on the top 2%, maybe not all the

way to 39.6% but definitely going up. >> yes. >> bill: something to do, not with social security probably but with medicare. >> i think is medicare because harry reid has said don't mess with social security. we saw that in 2011. the cpi, cost of living adjustment was on the table. i think that's off the table now. i don't think he will mess with social security. maybe boehner could raise the threshold possibly from 250 to a little bit higher. they've beened adamant about small businesses. they could get $500,000 instead of $250,000. >> bill: chuck schumer wanted it at a million. so those two things, in some form. how about the third factor being the debt ceiling so an agreement on the debt ceiling so we don't have to have another armageddon in january. >> i could see them giving a little bit on the debt ceiling not giving obama the new powers that he wants. >> bill: to do it every year forever. one time.

>> giving it a little bit so they have some breathing space until the beginning -- until mid 2013 because congress needs a deadline. they need -- whether it's the debt limit or whether it's raising the debt ceiling. they need a date where they can say we must get this done. and also the credit rating agencies are demanding that. they're like listen, you've got to do some -- this is going to be a relatively small deal. they need to do a big deal in 2013. they'll give them a little on the debt ceiling but then come july, they'll probably be faced with it again. >> bill: nbc cbs poll this morning shows that 65% of the american people say get a deal done! majority of democrats majority of republicans, majority of independents say compromise, get a deal done! and yet you know, boehner and cantor keep digging in their heels. at some point, the political pressure even from voices inside the republican party, some of which we have heard right? tom cole among others who is

saying just agree to this damn thing and move on. >> i think there's some self-preservation for boehner and cantor and the rest of the republican leadership. the republican majority in the house looks fairly safe because you have the six-year itch usually. bill clinton was the exception. the next election 2014, republicans in the house will probably do well based upon history. but if they screw this up, and they're going to get blamed, polls show that, then they could lose the majority. >> bill: right. that's an important point. the polls show, peter we talked about this yesterday on who would get the blame. >> it would come down on republicans. >> bill: right. you can follow us on twitter don't forget and join the conversation at bpshow. bob cusack from "the hill" here, managing editor in studio with us as a "friend of bill." we're talking michigan. we're talking fiscal cliff. we're talking antonin scalia. any of the above. 1-866-55-press. >> announcer: heard around the country and seen on current tv this is the "bill press show."

happened and more importantly, what's going to happen tomorrow. there is so much going on that every day presents another exciting issue. from financial regulation, iran getting a nuclear bomb, civil war in syria, fraud on wall street, destruction of medicare and medicaid. there are real issues here. having been a governor, i know that trade-offs are tough. things everyday exploding around the world that leave no shortage for exciting conversations. i want our viewer to understand why things have happened. at the end of the show, you know happened and more importantly, what's going to happen tomorrow.

(vo) you've heard bill's views now let's hear yours. >> politically direct means no bs, just tellling you what's going on in politics today. (vo) at the only online forum with a direct line to bill press. current.com/billpress

>> announcer: this is the "bill press show." >> bill: okay. happy thursday. december 13. the "full court press" here coming to you live from our nation's capital. bob cusack is managing editor of "the hill." thehill.com if you want to know what's going on in washington. at the capitol. both ends of pennsylvania avenue on the hill, at the congress and at the white house no better source than "the hill." bob, always good to you have with us. >> good to be here. >> bill: peter ogborn has his eye on the social media world. >> bpshow at twitter.

comments all over the board. don boyle saying on the fiscal cliff, politics is the art of the compromise. war is a zero-sum game. dems are playing politics. g.o.p. is playing war games. rum and coke party u.s.a. -- i don't make the names up, i just read them, and an tonin scalia. judge judy hooked on crystal meth would still have more credibility than justice scalia. you talked earlier about former governor of michigan and current teammate on current tv, jennifer granholm. kealy says we need jennifer on a national level. she's awesome! >> bill: she is on the national. >> eliot:. she's on current tv. i think she means in office. >> can't be president. >> bill: she would be a candidate for president if not for the fact that she were born in canada. they didn't change the constitution for arnold schwarzenegger but they should change it for jennifer granholm as far as i'm concerned.

another issue bob that's come up. struck me as unusual. remember a year -- a couple of years ago when the earthquake hit this area and eric cantor's district. there was a lot of damage. even then, eric cantor said nope. no more fema money for my district unless we can get some cuts in medicaid or something else. so republicans have been squishy on disaster relief and fema funding. president obama now has asked the congress for $60 billion in supplemental funding for new jersey and new york particularly. i think connecticut maybe too. for the damage for hurricane sandy. he's doing that at the request of the governors there and republicans in congress are now saying do they really need that much money? was there really that much damage to hurricane sandy? haven't they been watching tv? >> they've been dodging the question about whether they should offset the cost of it. i think when -- i think boehner has so much on his plate right now. that he's going to let this

through. he just doesn't want to say it. but you know, obviously this is another thing that conservatives are pushing for. so it's a tough spot. especially because i had forgotten about cantor and that damage when he said back then. he kind of retreated subsequently because he got flak for it. >> bill: here's what i would like to see. i would like to see whoever these members of congress are republicans in congress that are questioning the amount of storm damage in new jersey, i would like to see them sit down with chris christie. >> the wrath of chris christie. >> bill: that's what i mean. the way chris christie treats teachers or union members in new jersey. imagine, he would flay these people alive. >> last night, the big concert to benefit sandy. it started out with just total devastation. the images that were up there. the guys were running around saying there's no evidence of damage. plenty of damage. plenty of damage. just turn on the tv. >> bill: we've seen it. now back to the fiscal cliff for awhile. there was a voice spoken

yesterday that you would think again, members of congress would listen to. ben bernanke, chairman of the fed saying hey guys, you got -- he's the one who came up with the term fiscal cliff. >> did he. >> bill: warning to members of congress. here he is yesterday. >> even though we've not yet even reached the point of the fiscal cliff potentially kicking in it is already affecting business investment and hiring decisions by creating uncertainty or creating pessimism. >> bill: front page of "the hill" today, cliff is already inflicting damage. it is because people don't know what the hell's going to happen. >> it will be interesting to see what ben bernanke says behind closed doors and the cursing he does at congress. he has to be rolling his eyes that we're at this point and at least publicly, we're nowhere. the clock is ticking and he was saying once again listen, don't minimize this. as president obama said, this is avoidable. they can do this.

but if they don't do it and you go over the cliff then who knows what happens and then maybe it is irreversible, some of the damage. >> bill: barbara is on the line from columbus, new jersey. hey, barbara, good morning. >> hi, bill, how are you? >> bill: we're great. you have a question or a comment? >> caller: yes, i have a comment. i was calling into the show because i just happen to tune into the show and listen to what you were saying about the fiscal cliff. with the republicans and the democrats. and i'm an independent. i'm so glad to be a part of this country but right now, i'm just not in love with republicans at this point because they're the party of no. it seems they're very selfish. you know people shouldn't -- right now vote any republican in office because they all seem to be on this agenda of destruction with this country. i just don't understand how they're not listening to their constituents because most republicans who are middle class are middle class.

first. they're not democrats or republicans. they want the same thing for this country to go forward and to go ahead and they're just not really bothered by what the people are saying. >> bill: i got your comment barbara. this gets back to what we were talking with congressman sandy levin about bob. if you took a poll, across the board, i think irrespective of party today, people would say look, we had an election. elections have consequences. rates have to go up on the top 2% just do it. >> some republicans have moved. some are publicly taking on grover norquist. some are doing it before the election. very few. now more of them are distancing themselves from grover norquist. but the party as a whole is not there yet. at least not publicly. so you know, it is hard because this congress, this house anyway tea party house came in won 63 seats in 2010. now at the end of this congress, what's going to happen? they're going to raise tax rates in all likelihood.

that's tough for them. >> bill: so much for the tea party and john boehner's job obviously is on the line. he knows it. hey, bob great to have you in studio. thanks so much for being here. >> thank you. >> bill: covered a lot of territory. always a lot easier when you're here as an expert. bob cusack, managing editor of "the hill." thehill.com. parting shot coming up. stick around. >> announcer: this is the "full court press." the "bill press show." live on your radio and current tv.

(vo) current tv gets the conversation started weekdays now at 9 and noon eastern. >> i'm a slutty bob hope. the troops love me. we have a big big hour and the iq will go way up. [ ♪ theme ♪ ] >> >> announcer: the parting shot >> announcer: the parting shot with bill press. this is the "bill press show."

>> bill: hey and on this thursday, december 13, my parting shot for today. in all of the debate about the role of the federal government, most people agree there are two things the government ought to do. one, defend the country with a strong military and two help republicans who -- help the public americans who are victims of natural disasters. well most people believe that but republicans only believe half of it. they believe in the military but not so much when it comes to disaster relief. remember george bush gutted fema. house republicans in this congress gutted fema's budget. mitt romney said we should abolish fema an leave it up to states. you would think even after hurricane sandy, republicans would have learned their lesson but oh no. now, president obama asking congress for $60 billion to help new jersey and new york rebuild after hurricane sandy. but republicans in congress are saying "uh-huh we don't want to do that because we don't see any evidence there's been that much storm damage." i just have one suggestion, let

those republicans talk to governor chris christie! bottom line, when it comes to disaster relief, republicans are a disaster! great show today folks. see you back here again tomorrow.